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U.S. Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka (D-Hawaii) will deliver the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month keynote address at the Library of Congress at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 9, in the Mumford Room of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.

Born in Hawaii, Sen. Akaka earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education from the University of Hawaii. During World War II he served as a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Before becoming director of the Hawaii Office of Economic Opportunity in 1971, he spent 15 years in the field of education—as teacher, vice principal and principal.

In 1976 Akaka was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the second congressional district of Hawaii. He served in the House through 1988. He served in the House until April 1990 when he was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Spark M. Mastunaga. In November 1990 he won a special Senate election to complete the unexpired term of the late Senator. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1994 and again in 2000. Today he serves on a number of key Senate committees, including Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, Governmental Affairs, Indian Affairs and Veterans’ Affairs.